Utopian Communties were a way for people in soceity to create their own perfect world. Each movement had a mix of fascinations from different cultures and they experimented with communal ownership, control of property, and alternative family arrangements. During the 19th century, these experiments were registered by the nation's literary elite and there were over 120 new communities created. Some of these communities included, New Harmony, Brook Farm, Onieda, Shakers, and the Mormons . Several of these communities were being founded by home-grown religious sects such as the Mormons and Oneidas. Many of the leaders of these groups were also people such as Robert Owen, George Ripley, Joseph Smith and more, all created these movements for the purpose of all the other people that believed in what they did. New reforms such as social, economic, and educational reforms were replacing the religious perfectionism reforms as the primary cause for newly founded Utopian Communities. These Utopian Communities all perished soon after their findings do to common reasons such as not being able to reproduce do to religious beliefs which would results in a decline in the growth of the population. Even though most of these Utopian Communities don't exist today, they were all successful during their time because people actually joined these communities and followed their beliefs.
Utopian communities were a way of escape from the pressures and fast pace of society. In all, there were five different main groups of utopias, including: New Harmony, Brook Farm, Onieda, the Shakers, and the Mormons. However, there were over one hundred twenty new communities created in the nineteenth century. The main belief that all these people shared was equality; everyone would split up the labor and profit. People like Robert Owen, George Ripley,Joseph Smith and more play key roles in the creation of these Utopian "colonies." In addition, they were split up into secular and religious utopias. Each had their slight differences, but still idealized the communist mind-set. Unfortunately, other reforms dealing with society, the economy, and education soon took the place of the communities in importance and they then began to crumble. Not only that, the people living there didn't reproduce much due to the fact that it conflicted with their religious beliefs. While Utopian communities are not very popular today, they were successful in the nineteenth century because people got sick of the capitalist society that was in place.
Cause/Impetus
Causes: Many Utopian Communities were originally started because these groups of people wanted to have a perfect society as of the changing way man view their role in society and the role of the government. Also, were unhappy with the changes in society that were occurring between industrialization and urbanization so they wanted to create their own society that wasa perfect society unlike the world around them. - New Harmony: Robert Owen wanted a place where the individual's character was shaped by his or her environment. Founder Robert Ownen desired to create a more perfect society by providing free education and abolishing social classes and wealth. -Brook Farm: Influenced by the Transcendentalist views which were a reality that could understand truth and eternity and escape the modern world, in which to achieve self reliance, resident carried out "plain living" into practice. Residents hoped to form a community that could free themselves from the capitalist world by being completely independent from it. - Onieda: Based on the idea of "complex marriage where all members of the community were married to each other. - Shakers:Idea that every person was an equal despite gender and racial background. All the members were no married and did not involve themselves in any form of sexual activity. They were preparing for the second coming of Christ and maintained autonomy for capitalism. - Mormons: The Book of Mormon was written by Joesph Smith and soon after it was published to others, many people started following his teachings. These teaching had originally come from Joesph Smith's visits from an angel. These visits consisted of the angel telling him he was the chosen one who needed to restore the true church to its former glory. As his church began to expand, surrounding communities started to persecute the church and Smith for their unorthodox sexual practices. Eventually, Smith set out to find a holy land or Zion which ended up being Salt Lake City, Utah.
Goal of the Movement
While each community differed in what they believed in, they all believed in perfecting their own society that was different from the one that they had been living in. Social, economic, educational and religious reforms were different reasons for the start of these communities and for the motivation behind these communities.
New Harmony: wanted to form a new form of socialization,to give the people an opportunity for self-realization, and fought against the "trinity of evils:
private property
irrational systems of religion
marriage founded on property and religion
Brook Farm: wanted to close the gap in society between intellect and learning.
establish equality between men and women
break the link between women and housekeeping
Onieda: wanted to practice the concept of complex marriage and not the traditional forms of marriage and family.
strictly limit child birth
produce silverware(main source of income)
Shakers: wanted to live in a society where every one practiced celibacy and no one was married.
demanded a duty to fellow man and to God
fought for feminism and pacifism
wanted simplistic language and the correct use of property
Mormons: wanted to restore the true church of Christ through The Book of Mormon.
Tactics/Strategies
New Harmony
- Shape individual by his/her environment
- Every one shared labor and profit - Was sustainable by exporting wool and cotton and also by geological surveyors. Brook Farm
- Free themselves from the capitalist world by working to sustain themselves.
- Connect positive connotations with the idea of leisure Onieda
- Complex marraige: every one was married to one another - Sustained themselves by selling manufactured items and milled items Shakers
- Practiced celibacy: no marriage or sexual relations
- Developed own religious expression: communal living, productive labor, pacifism, and equality of sexes
- Danced and shook to 'shake' away the sin - Maintained economic autonomy Mormons
- Restore the true church of Christ
- Followed The Book of Mormon
- Emphasized structure of family - Promised salvation in the afterlife if they followed the church
Successes/Failures
Most of the 19th century groups were dependent on how strong their leaders were. The groups that survived well into the 20th century had to completely changed their life as rural life evolved due to the industrial, economic, and scientific progress in the larger society. Since the world was industrializing more everyday, such things that went along with that could have created a hostile environment for these movements. Often times they were criticized so it was easier for a group to fail rather than prosper.
Successes: Success of Onieda: The community lived on to survive even after the founder, John Humphrey Noyes was forced to flee to Canada after being charged with adultery. Overall: The groups originally were overall successful because they were created, had a population, and survived for sometime. Also, Mormons are still around to this day.
Failures: Decline of Shakers: Due to their strict rejection of marriage and a reduced number of available converts, the Shaker movement slipped into decline by midcentury and never recovered. Decline of Brook Farm: While the cultural life of Brook Farm blossomed, management of its practical matters languished. Ripley's decision to recruit more farmers over thinkers eventually alienated even Emerson. After a serious fire in 1846, the farm was sold in 1847 and the society dissolved. Decline of New Harmony: This Group ended because, it decided to break up into many smaller communities causing hectic problems. Overall: Although we are not clear on the failure of every group we are aware of the fact that if they did fail it was because of specific organizational issues or it had to do with a problem concerning the rules of the group. the utopian experiments.
Key Figures/People
New Harmony-Robert Owen attempted to create a town much like New Lanark, Scotland. In the United States, he put together the New Harmony Community next to Wabash River in western Indiana in 1825. The residents created a socialist community in which everyone shared labor and profit. Months later, this group divided into many little groups causing hectic problems among the community.
Brook Farm- George Ripley (1802–1880),The founder of the Brook Farm Association in Roxbury, Massachusetts, was George Ripley. This utopian community attracted intellectuals, carpenters, farmers, shoemakers, and printers. It provided for everyone including members’ children, family dependents, housing, fuel, wages, clothing, and food. There was an infant school there along with other schooling. Ripley was the first one to connect positive connotations with the idea of leisure. It was Ripley’s idea that said people would gather to create a new form of socialization and everyone would have the opportunity to experience self-realization
Oneida- The Oneida Community was founded by John Humphrey Noyes in 1848 in New York. Noyes rejected conventional practices and incorporated solicialism and complex marriage into his colony. Noyes’s belief of complex marriages kept many people away from where he originally lived so he left. People that supported him believed that you were married to the group not a specific person. When he moved to Oneida, New York the group there practiced “Bible Communism.” Here artisan members were put into broom manufacturing, shoe manufacturing, floor procession, lumber milling, and trap manufacturing.
Shakers- Ann Lee: The principle founder of the Shakers was Ann Lee. She was born into a poor family in England in 1736. She was part of a group that was known for spirited demonstrations of shouting, moving, and speaking in different languages. She became very active in the movement that became known in new Eden American. She came to America to learn more about this movement. This movement was arguably the most successful of the movements because it survived for over 200 years and reached about 18 different communities. The Shakers developed their own religious expression which included communal living, productive labor, celibacy, pacifism, the equality of the sexes, and a ritual noted for its dancing and shaking.
Mormons-The leader of the Mormons was the beginning of many currents of the innovations in American religion in the nineteenth century. They believed in revivalism, communitarian experiments, alternate social structures, millennial intensity, and the expectation of a special role during earth’s final days. Mormonism reflected a belief in human perfectibility. This group emphasized structure of the family. There are now some present day examples of Mormons.
Thomas More- More coined the term Utopia. He decided Utopia was an area that descibed and ideal society where property is shared by a community. He wrote a novel about this topic.
Key Events
Establishment of Salt Lake City - Joseph Smith's successor Brigham Young traveled across the desert- a society of 12,000 people in one of the largest single group migrations in American History. They then established a new community in Utah, now know as Salt Lake City. Also, the Mormons tried to create their own state and called it Deseret in 1849 but the US government denied their proposal in 1850 and instead formed the territory of Utah. Here, the mormons were able to create a permanent settlement away from rumors and harassment that had earlier broken up their society.
The Creation of New Harmony - established in Western Indiana in 1825 The Creation of Brook Farm - established in Roxbury Massachusetts in 1841 The Creation of Oneida - established in New York in 1848 The Creation of Shakers - founded in 1770s but didn't get a lot of supporters until the 1840s in the Northeast The Creation of Mormons - established in many different communities in 1831 until Salt Lake City was founded as their home in 1844.
Primary Sources
Brook Farm Constitution
Brook Farm Association
The constitution of the Brook Farm Association was written by George Ripley in 1841 and it stated all of the rules, and ways of life that this organization would follow as a community. Some examples of what it said were, authority will never be assumed over individual freedom of the Association or by any member over another and the Association guarantees to all members house-rent, food, fuel, clothing, and any other necessities needed. In addition, the constitution promised the union of mind, body, spirit and flesh.
The Book of Mormon
Mormons
The Book of Mormons was created in the 1830s originally by Joseph Smith. The book had 15 major parts or divisions. This book holds examples of what they believe in..."And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen." (Testimony of the Three Witnesses). Smith wrote it after an angel called Moroni came to him when he was seventeen. He wrote it on four kinds of metal: the plates of Nephi, the plates of Mormon, the plates of Brass, and the plates of Ether. It is important to note that this book was not supposed to replace the Bible, but add to it as a supplement.
Confessions of John H. Noyes
John Humphrey Noyes - Oneida
In this source, John Humphrey Noyes tells about his life and his religious experiences leading up to how he became apart of the Oneida Movement. Throughout it, he mentions certain encounters he witnesses with how people act and how he himself got himself to work through the groups and how he resisted temptations that weren't allowed in his group. This source contained 70 of his religious experiences and the way that he grew up.
New Harmony, Indiana, as it appeared in 1832 (watercolor by Karl Bodmer; Joslyn Art Museum) "Utopian Communities, American Eras"
"Utopian Communities, Dictionary of American History"This is a map that shows where these Utopian Communities were.
Click Here for a video on the Utopian Communities!
Joseph Smithhttp:www.mormonfamily.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/joseph_smith.jpg
Bibliography
Jones, J. Wayne. "Utopian Communities." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. Vol. 8. 3rd ed. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 300-304. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. High School. 10 Nov. 2009 http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=s0003.
"Utopian Communities." American Eras. Vol. 5: The Reform Era and Eastern U. S. Development, 1815-1850. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 276-278. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. High School. 10 Nov. 2009 http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=s0003.
Vollaro, Daniel R. "Utopian Communities." American History Through Literature 1820-1870. Ed. Janet Gabler-Hover and Robert Sattelmeyer. Vol. 3. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 1219-1224. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. High School. 12 Nov. 2009 http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=s0003.
Aamodt, Terrie Dopp. "Religion." American History Through Literature 1820-1870. Ed. Janet Gabler-Hover and Robert Sattelmeyer. Vol. 3. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 965-971. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. High School. 12 Nov. 2009 http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=s0003.
"Utopian Communities: Information from Answers.com." Answers.com: Wiki Q&A Combined with Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Encyclopedias. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. <http://www.answers.com/topic/utopian-communities>. This site was tracked down to an encyclopedia.
Utopian communities were a way of escape from the pressures and fast pace of society. In all, there were five different main groups of utopias, including: New Harmony, Brook Farm, Onieda, the Shakers, and the Mormons. However, there were over one hundred twenty new communities created in the nineteenth century. The main belief that all these people shared was equality; everyone would split up the labor and profit. People like Robert Owen, George Ripley,Joseph Smith and more play key roles in the creation of these Utopian "colonies." In addition, they were split up into secular and religious utopias. Each had their slight differences, but still idealized the communist mind-set. Unfortunately, other reforms dealing with society, the economy, and education soon took the place of the communities in importance and they then began to crumble. Not only that, the people living there didn't reproduce much due to the fact that it conflicted with their religious beliefs. While Utopian communities are not very popular today, they were successful in the nineteenth century because people got sick of the capitalist society that was in place.
Many Utopian Communities were originally started because these groups of people wanted to have a perfect society as of the changing way man view their role in society and the role of the government. Also, were unhappy with the changes in society that were occurring between industrialization and urbanization so they wanted to create their own society that was a perfect society unlike the world around them.
- New Harmony: Robert Owen wanted a place where the individual's character was shaped by his or her environment.
Founder Robert Ownen desired to create a more perfect society by providing free education and abolishing social classes and wealth.
-Brook Farm: Influenced by the Transcendentalist views which were a reality that could understand truth and eternity and escape the modern world, in which to achieve self reliance, resident carried out "plain living" into practice. Residents hoped to form a community that could free themselves from the capitalist world by being completely independent from it.
- Onieda: Based on the idea of "complex marriage where all members of the community were married to each other.
- Shakers:Idea that every person was an equal despite gender and racial background. All the members were no married and did not involve themselves in any form of sexual activity. They were preparing for the second coming of Christ and maintained autonomy for capitalism.
- Mormons: The Book of Mormon was written by Joesph Smith and soon after it was published to others, many people started following his teachings. These teaching had originally come from Joesph Smith's visits from an angel. These visits consisted of the angel telling him he was the chosen one who needed to restore the true church to its former glory. As his church began to expand, surrounding communities started to persecute the church and Smith for their unorthodox sexual practices. Eventually, Smith set out to find a holy land or Zion which ended up being Salt Lake City, Utah.
New Harmony: wanted to form a new form of socialization,to give the people an opportunity for self-realization, and fought against the "trinity of evils:
- private property
- irrational systems of religion
- marriage founded on property and religion
Brook Farm: wanted to close the gap in society between intellect and learning.- establish equality between men and women
- break the link between women and housekeeping
Onieda: wanted to practice the concept of complex marriage and not the traditional forms of marriage and family.- strictly limit child birth
- produce silverware(main source of income)
Shakers: wanted to live in a society where every one practiced celibacy and no one was married.- demanded a duty to fellow man and to God
- fought for feminism and pacifism
- wanted simplistic language and the correct use of property
Mormons: wanted to restore the true church of Christ through The Book of Mormon.- Shape individual by his/her environment
- Every one shared labor and profit
- Was sustainable by exporting wool and cotton and also by geological surveyors.
Brook Farm
- Free themselves from the capitalist world by working to sustain themselves.
- Connect positive connotations with the idea of leisure
Onieda
- Complex marraige: every one was married to one another
- Sustained themselves by selling manufactured items and milled items
Shakers
- Practiced celibacy: no marriage or sexual relations
- Developed own religious expression: communal living, productive labor, pacifism, and equality of sexes
- Danced and shook to 'shake' away the sin
- Maintained economic autonomy
Mormons
- Restore the true church of Christ
- Followed The Book of Mormon
- Emphasized structure of family
- Promised salvation in the afterlife if they followed the church
Successes:
Success of Onieda: The community lived on to survive even after the founder, John Humphrey Noyes was forced to flee to Canada after being charged with adultery.
Overall: The groups originally were overall successful because they were created, had a population, and survived for sometime.
Also, Mormons are still around to this day.
Failures:
Decline of Shakers: Due to their strict rejection of marriage and a reduced number of available converts, the Shaker movement slipped into decline by midcentury and never recovered.
Decline of Brook Farm: While the cultural life of Brook Farm blossomed, management of its practical matters languished. Ripley's decision to recruit more farmers over thinkers eventually alienated even Emerson. After a serious fire in 1846, the farm was sold in 1847 and the society dissolved.
Decline of New Harmony: This Group ended because, it decided to break up into many smaller communities causing hectic problems.
Overall: Although we are not clear on the failure of every group we are aware of the fact that if they did fail it was because of specific organizational issues or it had to do with a problem concerning the rules of the group.
the utopian experiments.
Brook Farm- George Ripley (1802–1880),The founder of the Brook Farm Association in Roxbury, Massachusetts, was George Ripley. This utopian community attracted intellectuals, carpenters, farmers, shoemakers, and printers. It provided for everyone including members’ children, family dependents, housing, fuel, wages, clothing, and food. There was an infant school there along with other schooling. Ripley was the first one to connect positive connotations with the idea of leisure. It was Ripley’s idea that said people would gather to create a new form of socialization and everyone would have the opportunity to experience self-realization
Oneida- The Oneida Community was founded by John Humphrey Noyes in 1848 in New York. Noyes rejected conventional practices and incorporated solicialism and complex marriage into his colony. Noyes’s belief of complex marriages kept many people away from where he originally lived so he left. People that supported him believed that you were married to the group not a specific person. When he moved to Oneida, New York the group there practiced “Bible Communism.” Here artisan members were put into broom manufacturing, shoe manufacturing, floor procession, lumber milling, and trap manufacturing.
Shakers- Ann Lee: The principle founder of the Shakers was Ann Lee. She was born into a poor family in England in 1736. She was part of a group that was known for spirited demonstrations of shouting, moving, and speaking in different languages. She became very active in the movement that became known in new Eden American. She came to America to learn more about this movement. This movement was arguably the most successful of the movements because it survived for over 200 years and reached about 18 different communities. The Shakers developed their own religious expression which included communal living, productive labor, celibacy, pacifism, the equality of the sexes, and a ritual noted for its dancing and shaking.
Mormons-The leader of the Mormons was the beginning of many currents of the innovations in American religion in the nineteenth century. They believed in revivalism, communitarian experiments, alternate social structures, millennial intensity, and the expectation of a special role during earth’s final days. Mormonism reflected a belief in human perfectibility. This group emphasized structure of the family. There are now some present day examples of Mormons.
Thomas More- More coined the term Utopia. He decided Utopia was an area that descibed and ideal society where property is shared by a community. He wrote a novel about this topic.
The Creation of New Harmony - established in Western Indiana in 1825
The Creation of Brook Farm - established in Roxbury Massachusetts in 1841
The Creation of Oneida - established in New York in 1848
The Creation of Shakers - founded in 1770s but didn't get a lot of supporters until the 1840s in the Northeast
The Creation of Mormons - established in many different communities in 1831 until Salt Lake City was founded as their home in 1844.
The constitution of the Brook Farm Association was written by George Ripley in 1841 and it stated all of the rules, and ways of life that this organization would follow as a community. Some examples of what it said were, authority will never be assumed over individual freedom of the Association or by any member over another and the Association guarantees to all members house-rent, food, fuel, clothing, and any other necessities needed. In addition, the constitution promised the union of mind, body, spirit and flesh.
The Book of Mormons was created in the 1830s originally by Joseph Smith. The book had 15 major parts or divisions. This book holds examples of what they believe in..."And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen." (Testimony of the Three Witnesses). Smith wrote it after an angel called Moroni came to him when he was seventeen. He wrote it on four kinds of metal: the plates of Nephi, the plates of Mormon, the plates of Brass, and the plates of Ether. It is important to note that this book was not supposed to replace the Bible, but add to it as a supplement.
H. Noyes
In this source, John Humphrey Noyes tells about his life and his religious experiences leading up to how he became apart of the Oneida Movement. Throughout it, he mentions certain encounters he witnesses with how people act and how he himself got himself to work through the groups and how he resisted temptations that weren't allowed in his group. This source contained 70 of his religious experiences and the way that he grew up.
New Harmony, Indiana, as it appeared in 1832 (watercolor by Karl Bodmer; Joslyn Art Museum) "Utopian Communities, American Eras"
"Utopian Communities, Dictionary of American History"This is a map that shows where these Utopian Communities were.
“The Hive at Brook Farm "History of Brook Farm"
http://www.americanantiquarian.org/Exhibitions/Dance/danceimages/Shakers.jpgThe Shakers, "shaking" away their sin.
Click Here for a video on the Utopian Communities!
Joseph Smithhttp:www.mormonfamily.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/joseph_smith.jpg
Bibliography
Jones, J. Wayne. "Utopian Communities." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. Vol. 8. 3rd ed. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 300-304. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. High School. 10 Nov. 2009 http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=s0003.
"Utopian Communities." American Eras. Vol. 5: The Reform Era and Eastern U. S. Development, 1815-1850. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 276-278. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. High School. 10 Nov. 2009 http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=s0003.
Vollaro, Daniel R. "Utopian Communities." American History Through Literature 1820-1870. Ed. Janet Gabler-Hover and Robert Sattelmeyer. Vol. 3. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 1219-1224. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. High School. 12 Nov. 2009 http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=s0003.
Aamodt, Terrie Dopp. "Religion." American History Through Literature 1820-1870. Ed. Janet Gabler-Hover and Robert Sattelmeyer. Vol. 3. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 965-971. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. High School. 12 Nov. 2009 http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=s0003.
National Park Services. "Utopias in America." The Amana Colonies - . NPS, 14 Apr. 2009. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. <http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/amana/utopia.htm>.
American Transcedentalism Web. "Transcendental Ideas: Social Reforms." VCU. Pysmon, June 2002. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. <http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/ideas/brhistory.html>.
"New Harmony Through the Ages." New Harmony Inn. NHI, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2009.
http://www.newharmonyinn.com/pdf/NHTimeline.pdf.
Brinkley, Allan. American History: A Survey. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2003. Print.
Foster, Lawrence. "Shakers." Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. Vol. 12. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 8268-8269. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. High School. 16 Nov. 2009 http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=s0003.
"America and the Utopian Dream | Utopian Communities." Web. 21 Nov. 2010. <http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/utopia/utopcom.html>.
McEmrys, Aaron. "Brook Farm." Dictionary of Unitarian & Universalist Biography. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. <http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/brookfarm.html>.
"Utopian Communities: Information from Answers.com." Answers.com: Wiki Q&A Combined with Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Encyclopedias. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. <http://www.answers.com/topic/utopian-communities>. This site was tracked down to an encyclopedia.